Reading Material
by obi's girl
Summary: Based on some spoilerish ( pics of Emma and Hook, Emma brings along a certain book to help her prepare for what to expect at their final destination.


The trip to Neverland will not be a long journey, or at least Hook thinks it won't be but it still does not explain why Emma is sitting up on deck, reading through a book. Despite popular beliefs that traveling on board pirate ships can be exciting and often times adventurous, things can also get dull very quickly. If the _Jolly Roger_ were an ordinary pirate ship but she's magic; it still baffles him why Emma thought that she needed to bring along reading material.

He angles his face to try and decipher the title and sees her smirk. "You should pay attention to where you're sailing Captain, otherwise we might end up in a place that's not Neverland," she teases, flipping a page.

"What's that you're reading Swan?" he asks finally.

"Nothing," she says flatly, "nothing you would be interested in anyway,"

Hook smiles at her. "Now I'm interested," he retorts, "come now lass, what is it?"

She closes the book and looks up at him, smiling. "You'd probably think it's silly anyway; most of the stories in here probably aren't even true," she says, setting the book aside and propping up her feet.

"This ship is not a lounge chair," he says.

Emma rolls her eyes, putting her feet down and picking up her book again. Hook tries to see the title on the book jacket and Emma shakes her head. "Seriously Hook, if you keep doing that, I'm going to think that instead of checking out the book, you're trying to get a better look at my..." He looks at her curiously. "They're just stories anyway,"

He steps away from the wheel and walks over to her. Emma stands up suddenly, trying to hide the book and there's a struggle momentarily to keep him away from her until his hooked hand hooks her wrist and he snatches the book away from her. Hook studies the back cover, reading over the description and then turns it around, looking at the cover.

"Peter Pan by J.M Barrie," he breathes, "Really? You needed to check this out from Belle's library before making the trip to Neverland?"

"I told you that you would think it's ridiculous; now, can I please have the book back?"

Hook opens the book to the fifth chapter and starts reading aloud.

"_In the midst of them, the blackest and largest in that dark setting, reclined James Hook, or as he wrote himself, Jas. Hook, of whom it is said he was the only man that the Sea-Cook feared_," he reads, glancing at Emma.

Hook sighs and continues reading. "_He lay at his ease in a rough chariot drawn and propelled by his men, and instead of a right hand he had the iron hook with which ever and anon he encouraged them to increase their pace. ...his hair was dressed in long curls, which at a little distance looked like black candles, and gave a singularly threatening expression to his handsome countenance. His eyes were of the blue of the forget-me-not, and of a profound melancholy, save when he was plunging his hook into you, at which time two red spots appeared in them and lit them up horribly. In manner, something of the grand seigneur still clung to him_,"

He reads over the passage again, to the part about his alleged physical description. "Long curly hair, dress wearing pirate...who wrote this nonsense?"

Emma smirks at him. "If you're thinking of skinning him alive, I'm afraid he's long dead," she says, trying to pry the book away from him again.

"The only accurate part of that was the blue eyes," he mutters, flipping through more pages, "what else is in this god forsaken book?"

"Well, there's Wendy, Michael and John, the Darling children, a weird love triangle between Wendy, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, the Losy Boys, you and your crew and of course, your famed crocodile," she says, "I've read the official licensed sequel; it's really good except for the bit where Tootles becomes a girl and she's still referenced as a boy in some parts,"

Hook looks at her wearily. "Tootles, one of the lost boys becomes a girl," he says flatly, "and this is supposed to be a children's story?"

Emma shrugs. "I think the author was trying to be cute. Tootles does sound like a girl's name..."

Hook gives her her book back and starts to walk away, but stops, turning back to her. "If you wanted to know the real story love, all you had to do was ask instead of bringing this fiction nonsense onboard my ship," he says. "That book is an insult to my history,"

Emma clears her throat, setting the book aside. "You're right. The long black curls and red coat tails, totally not your style," she says, "so, what's it really like there?"

"Neverland?" he counters, "It's the most beautiful, untamed, wild island...days are commonly very short or at least they feel that way. Everyone stays away from each other for the most part; the Indians keep to themselves, the fairies do the same, except for Tinkerbell. She follows Pan around anywhere he goes. The mermaids are the best snitches, they are loyal to no one except themselves and dangerous creatures if you're not careful,"

"And the Lost Boys?" she asks.

Hook looks at her sympathetically. "If Henry's among them (and most likely he is), no need to worry Emma. They'll take care of your boy and keep him from harm," he assures her, "I promise you Emma, we will get Henry back,"

Emma tries to put on a confident smile but fails. Hook walks over to her again, bracing her shoulders. "Where's that tough lass I knew from the beanstalk?" he wonders.

"I think she's on vacation at the moment," she cries. "but I'm trying to be brave,"

"You don't need to try Emma. You're stronger than this; I know you are," he says.

"I'm not strong Hook," Emma cries. "This would be the third or fourth time I've lost Henry. He almost died because I didn't believe in the curse; I lied to him about his father and he resented me for that and now, he's alone in Neverland!"

"What was the fourth time?" he asks.

"What?"

"The fourth time you lost him?"

Emma looks away sorrowfully. "When I gave him up," she says.

Hook turns her head to face him and he brushes away a tear with his thumb. "I've been alive a bit longer than you and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you can't even imagine and done things I prefer you didn't. I've made a lot of mistakes, a lot of wrong bloody calls. Two hundred plus years and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of: _you_," he reasons, smiling at her fondly.

But Emma turns her head away.

"Hey, look at me. I didn't ask you for anything when you came to me about your boy because I know how much he means to you. I'm not helping you because I can't have you, or hope maybe you'll see beyond this the facade of Captain Hook. It has nothing to do with me,"

"I've seen your kindness and your strength; I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity what you are: you're hell of a woman. You're the one Emma. I love what you are, what you do, how you try," he finishes, "and it's that great faith that runs in your family that's going to help us find Henry,"

Emma looks at Hook (no, Killian), the pirate she climbed up the beanstalk with in fairytale land.

"I have faith in you Swan," he finishes, backing away and going back to the wheel.

Emma breathes slowly, wiping away her tears and looks in his direction. "I have faith in you too Killian," she says and he looks at her. "I – thank you for believing in me too,"

He smiles at her, leaning against the railing. "Just promise me you won't tie me up or knock me out again, and we'll call it even," he says. "Savvy?"

"Deal, and that includes stealing your ship," she promises.

Killian smiles back at her thoughtfully and then pulls out his compass, checking their headings. If his calculations are right, their current position is where the portal will be. "Emma, I need one of the beans Anton gave you," he says.

She opens up the small purse and tosses it to him. "You might want to strap yourself in lass, and tell your parents to do the same. There's bumpy seas ahead,"

Hook maneuvers the wheel, turning the ship about and Emma glances in the direction where they're sailing and gasps, seeing a large maelstrom swirling about growing bigger by the minute. "Wait a minute, you're not actually sailing towards that thing?" she cries.

"That love is how we get to Neverland, so yes," he replies.

Emma's eyes dart around the deck and she rushes to to find something, anything to keep herself safe. Just before the _Roger_ tips, falling into the maelstrom, something knocks Emma unconscious.

"Emma sweetheart, wake up. Emma? Wake up darling,"

Emma groggily opens her eyes, making out Killian's figure kneeling in front of her and two other people

standing behind him.

"Emma?"

She shakes her head and reaches for Killian's arm, helping her stand. Once her vision adjusts, she realizes that she's still on the _Roger_, they're still sailing on open seas but it's not the same open seas. "We made it?" she asks.

"We're in Neverland?"

"Aye, that we are," Killian confirms, "Sorry about the bumpy ride,"

Emma checks herself and Hook holds up the book, smiling. "I told you that you didn't need to bring this bloody thing onboard my ship; it damn near knocked you unconscious in the midst of the chaos," he says.

"Knocked me out or you threw at me," she mutters.

"How could I do that when I was the one steering us here?" he counters, offering her his hand. "Come on Emma, let's find your son,"

The End


End file.
